Christopher Wilmarth [1943 -1987]
INVITATION #1, 1975-76
Steel and Etched glass
48 x 84 1/2 x 27 1/2 in.
121.92 x 214.63 x 69.85 cm
CW10459
NORMAL CORNER (YARD), 1972
Etched glass and steel
30 1/8 x 60 1/8 x 30 1/8 in.
76.52 x 152.72 x 76.52 cm
CW12310
IS, WAS (CHANCING), 1975-76
Etched glass, steel and steel cable
40 x 63 1/2 x 30 in.
101.6 x 161.29 x 76.2 cm
CW12352
9 CLEARINGS, 1975
Watercolor and pencil on watercolor paper
18 x 24 inches
45.72 x 60.96 cm
CW11623
GNOMON'S PARADE (SIDE), 1980
Etched glass and steel
89 x 25 x 15 in.
226.06 x 63.5 x 38.1 cm
CW12353
MESH, 1971
Etched glass and steel cable
17 x 17 in.
43.18 x 43.18 cm
CW12354
Christopher Wilmarth
November 29th, 2007– January 19th, 2008
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm
On Thursday, November 29th, 2007, Betty Cuningham Gallery will open an exhibition of the sculpture of Christopher Wilmarth. Wilmarth, who died at the age of 44 in 1987, achieved significant recognition at a young age. At 30 years old his work was already in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Philadelphia Museum and the Walker Art Center (Minneapolis).
Wilmarth graduated from Cooper Union in 1966 and shortly thereafter began exhibiting in New York: first at the Graham Gallery in 1968 and then at Paula Cooper in 1971 and 1972. By 1978, Wilmarth, disillusioned with the art market, departed from all dealer representation and established The Studio of the First Amendment, a place where he could show his own works free from the demands of the commercial art world. He stated, “If it wasn’t magic, it was merchandise,” and Wilmarth did not produce “merchandise”. At The Studio for the First Amendment, Wilmarth realized three shows: first in 1978 of his current work at that time, 1980 of the Gnomon’s Parade sculptures, and then in 1982 of the Breath series. However, despite his idealistic view of being an “independent artist,” he found the demands of dealing his own work more than he had anticipated. In 1982, Wilmarth joined Hirschl & Adler Modern, where he realized two major shows: Layers in 1984 and Delancey Backs in 1986.
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